Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah

"Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah"
"Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah"
Song by James Baskett
Recorded	1946
Genre	Jazz; scat;
Length	2:19
Composer(s)	Allie Wrubel
Lyricist(s)	Ray Gilbert

"Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah" is a song composed by Allie Wrubel with lyrics by Ray Gilbert for the Disney 1946 live action and animated movie Song of the South, sung by James Baskett.^[1] For "Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah", the film won the Academy Award for Best Original Song^[1] and was the second Disney song to win this award, after "When You Wish upon a Star" from Pinocchio (1940).^[1] In 2004, it finished at number 47 in AFI's 100 Years...100 Songs, a survey of top tunes in American cinema.

Disney historian Jim Korkis said the word "Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah" was reportedly invented by Walt Disney, who was fond of nonsense words such as "Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo" from Cinderella (1950) and "Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious" from Mary Poppins (1964).^[2] Ken Emerson, author of the book Doo-dah!: Stephen Foster And The Rise Of American Popular Culture, believes that the song is influenced by the chorus of the pre-Civil War folk song "Zip Coon", a "Turkey in the Straw" variation: "O Zip a duden duden duden zip a duden day".^[3]

Since 2020, Disney has disassociated itself from the song due to the longstanding controversy over racial connotations associated with Song of the South, with the song largely being removed from music loops in the company's theme parks and associated resorts in the United States.^[4]

^ ^a ^b ^c Brown, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 134. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
^ "The Song of the South Frequently Asked Questions". www.mouseplanet.com. 5 December 2012.
^ Emerson, Ken (1997). Doo-dah!: Stephen Foster And The Rise Of American Popular Culture. New York: Simon & Schuster. p. 60. ISBN 978-0684810102.
^ "Disneyland removes controversial 'zip-a-dee-doo-dah' lyric from its parade," CBS News, Mar 4, 2023.

[British_Hit_Singles_&_Albums-1] Brown, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 134. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.

[2] "The Song of the South Frequently Asked Questions". www.mouseplanet.com. 5 December 2012.

[Doo-dah!-3] Emerson, Ken (1997). Doo-dah!: Stephen Foster And The Rise Of American Popular Culture. New York: Simon & Schuster. p. 60. ISBN 978-0684810102.

[4] "Disneyland removes controversial 'zip-a-dee-doo-dah' lyric from its parade," CBS News, Mar 4, 2023.

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